Almay

Overview:
Born in 1931, the word “Almay” fuses the names of its founders: Alfred and Fanny May. The Revlon International Corporation became Almay’s new owner in 1989. Almay was the first cosmetics brand to perform safety testing for allergy and irritation, as well as the first to formulate hypoallergenic and 100% fragrance-free products. Almay was also a pioneer in formulating products for contact lens wearers and cosmetic regimens for specific skin types.

The Good:
Almay has considered themselves one of the more gentler cosmetics line. They were the first hypoallergenic cosmetics brand, the first brand to make 100% fragrance-free products and to disclose all ingredients used, the first brand to perform safety testing for allergy and irritation, the first brand to formulate for contact lens wearers and, you guessed it, the first brand to create cosmetic regimens for specific skin types. They continue to make strides with their pure blends makeup which claims to be 94.7% natural.

The Bad:
Almay continues to use less than great ingredients. ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE has been linked to reproductive toxity and ALUMINUM POWDER to cancer. In their pure blends makeup, Marta was surprised to see stearic acid which in one or more animal studies showed brain and nervous system effects, respiratory effects and skin irritation at very low doses, and in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results (leading to its designation as a potential carcinogen).

The Truth:
Almay has made strides in terms of being a mainstream cosmetics line but still has a ways to go before we can consider it a safe brand. Still, they have a few good products here and there, Copely was especially fond of the Almay Clear Complexion Concealer.

Truth in Aging reviews anti-aging serums, moisturizers, eye creams and more. To find the best natural skincare, we test products for 30 days and share our experiences in objective reviews. Only products recommended by our community are sold in the Truth In Aging shop.